Carrier for braiding-machines.



A. LiTTLEFIELD.

CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.19, 1915.

1,172,7' 19. Peteneed Feb. 22,1916.

Iiirutrniz sm'riis "PATENT orricn.

ARLON LITTLEFIELD, F IROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO NEW ENGLAND BUTT COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A. C011,20RA'IIGN` 0F RHODE ISLAND.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARLoN LiTTLrirELD, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Providence, in the county of Providencey and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new and useful Improve-y A further object of the vinvention is tov provide springs instead of heavy weights for exerting tension on the material while braiding and so again reducethe weight of an operating carrier. l

It is found in practice that a carrier eini ployed inthe laying ofwire armor onto a core, owing to its necessarily heavy construction, is considerably affected by the action of centrifugal force upon it in traveling rapidly along the-sinuouscourse of its raceway and that the wire reel with its heavy load should b'e located near the-bottom of the carrier so as to place the center of gravity as low as possible, therefor, to accomplish this instead of mountingthis reel at the top as is the case in some types of carriers I have located the saine adJacent the base,fand have also minimized the size of the tension member which is above the reel, by employing springs for obtaining the comparatively high degree of tension on the wires to be braided. l

With these and other objects in view, the

invention consists of' certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully de-l scribed, and particularly pointed out 1n the appended claims.V

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1- is a front elevation of my improved carrier. Fig. 2--. is a central sectional side elevation of this carrier. 3- 1s a perspective view of the latch or et-oii' pawl which engages the teeth of the reel ratchet,

Referringto the drawings 10 designates Specication of Letters Patent.

CARRIER FOR BRADING-MACHINES.

Patented Feb. sa, 191e.

Application led February 19, 1915. Serial No. 9,273.

the base of the carrier which travels upon the top plate (not shown) of the machine and 11 and l2 designate the standards extending upwardly from .this base. The lower portion o f these standards is spaced apart a little wider than their upper portion, and

'-in this lower space is rotatably mounted the reel or spool 13 on the bearing pin 14. which passes through the opposite standard and whose axis is set substantially at .right angles thereto. On one side of and connected to thisreel is al ratchet wheel 15 for the purpose-.presently described; On one of the standards is mounted a pawl 16 adapted to slide vertically on the Iscrew 17 with its lower end engaging the teeth of theratchet 15. Said pawl is provided with an extension 18 guided by aange or standard 12, to hold the pawl toits `engaging position, and to the upper end of this pawl is connected a vertical rod 19/ having an upper bearing 20 in the frame and to'this'rod is' connected an bperating finger '21. yA lspring 22 acts between the frame and this finger to normally press this pawlinto engagement with the ratchet teeth. A factor in the reduction of the operating weight of the carrier to the minimum is the provision of a tension mem- 4ber 23, which is shownl as being mounted to slide verticallyon the guide rods 24. This weight is formed very light and is pressed downward under 'tension of the coil springs 25, and on this weight is mounted a comparatively large idler pulley 26. vOn Athe upper portion of the 'standards is a cross bar 31 on which is mounteda large idler v27 considerably off-set to -overhan this frame in order to obtain the necessary angle of lead for the wire from the reel below. A second guide roll 28 is located on the other Aside of the frame to conduct .the wire through the guide eye 29 whichis located in the pivoted yoke 30 to swing and accommodate the varying direction of lead. In the operation of my improved carrier,

the wire from the reel is carriedA up over the large pulley 27 down around the pulleyly 26,0f the member 23 and then up over the 1 pulley 26 through the guide eye 29 to the core onto which the armor is braided.

The degree of tension is controlled by the stiffness o f the springs '25 upon the member 23, and when a greater tension is required, the rods 24 'are removed and stiffer springs are placed upon them. When the desired tensionon the wire has been reachedl the member 23 is raised by the taking up of the loop of wire around the pulley 26, raising the tension member until it engages and raises the pawl finger 21 which at once releases the reel to unwind more wire.

The essential feature of this invention is that the Weight in the carrier is as low down or as near its bottom portion of the carrier as possible so as to reduce and minimize the action of centrifugal force upon the upper portion and so reduce the wearing e'ect of the carrier and also the walls of the 'guides and raceways in which it travels.

I claim:

ln' braider, a carrier comprising a base portion, a pair of standards extending upwardly from said base, a reel located near the lower portion of'said standards with its axis at a right angle to said standl ards, a tension member slidably supported above said reel, a ratchet wheel on the reel, a let-ol pawl slidably supported by one of said standards and engaging said ratchet, and a controlling member for said pawl guided by said standard, said controlling member having a portion overhanging said tension member and in the path of'movement thereof.

2. In a braider, al carrier comprising a. base portion, a pair of standards extending upwardly from said base,I a reel located nearI the lower portion of said standards with its axis at a right angle to said standards, a

tension member slidably supported abovev 4to its Work.

and having a portion extending into the path of movement of the tension member, and means for yieldingly yholding said pawl 3. In a braider, a carrier -comprising a base portion, a pair-,of standards extending upwardly from said base, a reel located near the lower portion of said standards with its axis at a right angle to said standards, a tensionV member slidably supported above said reel, a ratchet wheel on the reel, a letoii' pawl slidably supported by one of said standards and engaging said ratchet, a con-- trolling member for said pawl guided by said standard, said controlling member having a portion overhanging said tension member and in the path of` movement thereof, and means for guiding the lowerend of said pawl.

4. In a braider, a carrier comprisinga base portion, a pair of standards extending upward from saidbase, a reel located near the lower portion of said standards with its axis at a right angle to said standards, a spring pressed tension member slidably supported above said reel, a ratehet wheel on the reel, al let-ofi` pawl engaging said ratchet, an operating rod for said pawl, an operating finger attached to said rod and having a portion extending into the path of movement of the tension member, and a spring acting 'against .said finger to hold said pawl to its work.

In testimony whereofI aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

, ARLON LITTLEFIELD` Witnesses: i Y

HOWARD E, BABLOW, A. F. MAGBEADY. 

